The book is about Polish pilots, flying Spitfires (Mk. I and II) for the RAF. The Polish Air Force tried, unsuccessfully, to buy Spitfires in 1939. The book is illustrated with 169 black and white wartime photos. There are 33 full color profile paintings showing the camouflage and markings of Spitfires flown by Polish pilots.

First I would like to note that although this is the sixth in this series of publications this is the first to be printed in English.

The history of various other aircraft types flown by Polish fighter pilots over the years has been covered in the previous 5 book. Polish Wings 6 covers the use of the Supermarine Spitfire marks I & II from early1939 to mid 1942. The book chronicles both by narrative and visually the introduction of the early model spitfires into the Polish Air force prior to the start of WWII as well as its use by Polish pilots, as part of the RAF, after Poland was occupied by Germany.

The book is filled with both great photographs as well as numerous, beautifully rendered color profiles. A very nice touch is that these profile drawings are in many cases literally overlaid onto the edges of the photos of the particular aircraft being covered. It should be noted that besides the typical fighter versions of the Spitfire Mk. I & II, photo recon Spits that were flow by the Polish pilots are also covered.

In conclusion this is a very well done book that I would highly recommend to aviation enthusiast as well as model builders. Both would enjoy it as well as find it a very useful reference.

Hyperscale.com  2013-08-23

Reviewed by Steven "Modeldad" Eisenman

F i r s t R e a d
There is no need for a Polish-English dictionary to enjoy the latest in the Polish Wings series of monographs. The switch to very readable English text and captions could not have come at a better time, given the subject matter.

The author begins this volume with a discussion of the Polish governments effort to purchase Spitfires from the UK. Interestingly, he attempts to trace the fate of the single Spitfire sent to Poland. If true, this refugee Spitfire made its way back to the RAF in Egypt, after service in the Turkish Air Force.

The narrative then continues with a description of Poles serving in RAF squadrons during the Battler of Britain. Polish pilots were assigned to Spitfires during the height of the Battle, during the first week of August 1940.

The bulk of the monograph focuses on the specific Polish Air Force Squadrons that operated the Spitfire Mk. I/II in combat. These squadrons were 303 Sq. City of Warsaw (RF), 308 Sq. City of Cracow (ZF), 306 Sq. City of Torun (UZ) and 315 sq. Deblin (PK). While other Polish squadrons received the Mk. I/II Spitfire, these were used in training, not operational roles.

The author also notes the use of the early Spitfires by Polish pilots in other capacities. This includes Polish pilots serving in PRUs OTUs and Ferry Flights.

Finally, if the author is correct, and it seems to be a long stretch on his part, the first Spitfire that Polish pilots flew, as part of the Polish governments purchase commission, may have wound up as a German war trophy displayed in Cracow, Poland in 1942.

As in the prior monographs in the Polish Wings series, the profiles are well integrated with photographs of the actual aircraft. The photographs also receive detailed captions, a lot more than just serial number and squadron.

As for the profiles themselves, they are as good as, or perhaps even better than, those in the previous volumes. What the artist has captured quite well is the transition from the Temperate Land Scheme of Dark Green, Dark Earth and Sky to the Day Fighter Scheme of Dark Green, Ocean Gray and Medium Sea Grey. Although I cannot attest to the accuracy, the artist has presented profiles showing Temperate Land Scheme aircraft over painted in Day Fighter Scheme colors.

After finishing this excellent work, what struck me most was the statement by the author that: A total of at least 1,500 Spitfires were officially allocated to Polish units (and paid for by the Polish Government), making the Polish AF the largest ever Spitfire operator outside the RAF, and also making the Spitfire the most numerous aircraft type in the history of Polish military aviation. A concept maybe hard to understand in that the Polish Air Force Spitfires usually wore RAF roundels.

Conclusion

This is an excellent addition to the Polish Wings series, and would be enjoyed by anyone interested in Spitfires or the role of Polish pilots in the early years of the War.

Highly recommended

Cybermodeler.com  2013-08-23

By Ray Mehlberger

This new book is the 6th title in the Polskie Skrzydla series. The previous ones were all in Polish only. This is the first one in English. The book is in a 11 3/8” x 8 3/8” soft-cover format. It is 48 pages in length.

The book is about Polish pilots, flying Spitfires (Mk. I and II) for the RAF. The Polish Air Force tried, unsuccessfully, to buy Spitfires in 1939. A great many Polish pilots, in exile, subsequently flew Spitfires for the RAF, from 1940 until 1943.

The book is profusely illustrated with 169 black and white wartime photos and five in color. A further five are color shots of Spitfires in museums. There are 33 full color profile paintings showing the camouflage and markings of Spitfires flown by Polish pilots.

These profiles are partially super-imposed over photos of the actual aircraft being illustrated. This is a new way of doing profiles in a book, for me. Usually profiles are on pages by themselves. However, it does not distract that much. Added to the mix are illustrations of five wartime documents.

Author Wojtek Matusiak is one of the foremost Spitfire historians of the day, and has published extensively in both Polish and English. This impeccably researched book will be of interest to aviation historians, enthusiasts, and model builders.

Modeling Madness  2013-08-23

by Scott Van Aken

This is the first of the other books that have been published by Stratus I've seen outside the very fine MMP works. The book looks at the early Spitfire and the Polish Air Force. As many know, the Polish AF tried to buy Spitfires in 1939, but the needs of the RAF came first and none were made available until it was too late. A crated aircraft (along with some Hurricanes and Battles) on the way in early September 1939 via a most circuitous route thanks to the German control of the Baltic. The Spitfire was eventually supplied to Turkey (since it was in the area anyway), and Poland never actually got her Spits.

However, Polish pilots did fly them and this is the story of those men and their machines.

The book itself is in English and superbly done. Each page has an excellent selection of photographs of the aircraft and most pages also include at least one color profile. As a real treat, there are a few period color photos. A section on surviving aircraft that have been flown by Polish pilots is also included, making this a most comprehensive and well researched book.

I know that Spitfire enthusiasts and modelers alike will enjoy browsing through over and over again, as it truly is a superb reference on the subject. A book that I can recommend without reservation.